The Impact of President Trump's Executive Orders Thus Far

The Impact of President Trump's Executive Orders Thus Far

Posted By
Guerra Sáenz, PL

It has been almost two weeks since Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States, and in that short time he has already
issued more than a dozen executive orders, making sweeping changes to
everything from federal employment to oil pipelines to
immigration. On this blog, we take a look at the immigration orders that have been
issued so far and how they impact those looking to come to the United States.

Defunding of Sanctuary Cities

President Trump made a promise to crack down on sanctuary cities during
his campaign and wasted little time in sticking to his word. In one of
his largest orders to date, the President ordered that cities who willfully
violate federal law to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation
be forbidden from receiving federal grants, except for funding law enforcement,
at the discretion of the Attorney general and Secretary of Homeland Security.
The President hopes that this will make sanctuary cities play by the federal
government’s rules, but several cities have already spoken out that
they will defy the order nonetheless.

Change Prioritizing of Deportation Targets

In that same order, President Trump prioritized seven groups of aliens for
deportation: anyone convicted of a crime, charged with a crime, who has committed
a chargeable offense, who has misrepresented themselves to the government,
abused a welfare program, under deportation order, and who “may
pose a risk to public safety or national security.” The order also
allows local law enforcement to act as immigration officers whenever possible.
This will increase the number of potential deportation targets by thousands,
including both legal and illegal immigrants, and make the chances of deportation
far more likely.

Hiring Thousands of ICE Agents

The third segment of this order enabled the Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agency to be able to deal with the extra burden of the increased deportations
by hiring an additional 10,000 agents, subject to funding by Congress.

Border Wall

This order required agencies to begin planning and finding funding for
a wall along the Mexican border and additional detention facilities close
to the border. It also calls for the hiring of another 5,000 border patrol
agents, subject to funding by Congress. The hopes of this order is to
catch more people attempting to illegally enter the United States and
have holding facilities nearby to expedite their deportation.

Refugee Freeze

In perhaps his most controversial order to date, President Trump called
for a full freeze on nearly all refugees for 120 days, pending a review
of the refugee vetting process. The order also put a 90-day freeze on
entry into the country by all people from seven countries that are considered
to be high terrorism risks (Iran, Iraq, Lybia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,
and Yemen). For Syria specifically, the freeze is permanent until the
President gives the green light to begin re-accepting refugees and travelers.
However, exceptions can be granted to all of these orders on a case-by-case
basis, including for those who are a religious minority and facing persecution
in their country.

Judges froze multiple portions of this order, including ruling that those
already en route to the U.S. could enter, and that those currently already
in the country could not be deported. Many other portions are continually
challenged every day by those seeking entrance to the United States, including
some who have already been issued green cards.

These sweeping changes to immigration law make an experienced Boca Raton
immigration attorney crucial to your case. At
Guerra Sáenz, PL, we are proud to assist those looking to better their life by entering
the United States with their immigration law issues. Whether you need
assistance securing a professional visa or are facing a deportation hearing,
having an attorney on your side can help you quickly come to a successful
resolution to your case.